Days after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit central Mexico, residents are in part turning to prayer and spirituality to cope with the devastation.

The earthquake, which hit on Tuesday, severely crippled Mexico City, and has caused major damage in nearby states. About 286 people were reported dead as of Friday, the AP reports, with more than half of those deaths occurring in in the country’s capital city.

In southern Mexico City, 19 children and six adults died after the collapse of the Enrique Rebsámen school building. Eleven children were successfully rescued from the rubble as of Thursday, the AP reports.

Relatives, friends, and rescue workers gathered near the school Thursday evening to participate in a large, outdoor Catholic Mass to remember victims. The priest spoke the names of the dead, and attendees released white balloons with messages for the deceased.

A woman talks with a priest two days after the earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico. The earthquake comes 32 years after a magnitude-8.0 earthquake hit on September 19, 1985.

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Rosalba Ramirez Vargas, center, with the prayer group 'The Best Friends of Jesus' pray while anxiously waiting for news from rescue crews at Enrique Rebsamen School in Mexico City.

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(Daniel Becerril / Reuters)

Flowers and a religious image are seen amidst support beams and rubble during the search for students.

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At least 25 bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of the school.

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Relatives and friends signed balloons with messages after the mass.

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People write the names of victims and messages for them on balloons.

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A woman is seen reading letters written to remember children who have died during the earthquake.

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Flowers are seen during the mass.

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A member of the The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) checks for damage inside the Parroquia de la Asuncion church in Yautepec de Zaragoza, Morelos State, Mexico, on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017.

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Debris sits on the benches inside the Parroquia de la Asuncion church.

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Debris sits on the floor of the chapel of the Parroquia de la Asuncion church.

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A pack of cards depicting a religious figure lies on the floor outside the Parroquia de la Asuncion church in Yautepec de Zaragoza, Morelos State, Mexico, on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017.

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A woman touches a religious statue retrieved from the Parroquia de la Asuncion church, located in Yautepec de Zaragoza, Morelos State, Mexico.

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(Imelda Medina / Reuters)

People accompany caskets through the streets in Puebla, Mexico.

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(Imelda Medina / Reuters)

People stand outside a damaged church in Atzala, on the outskirts of Puebla, Mexico.

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(Imelda Medina / Reuters)

People light candles for victims who died after the roof of a church collapsed in Atzala, on the outskirts of Puebla, Mexico.

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(Imelda Medina / Reuters)

A woman hugs a casket holding the body of a victim who died along with others, after the roof of a church collapsed in Atzala, on the outskirts of Puebla, Mexico.